The alarm was raised on Sunday morning.
A man aged in his 40s has passed away following an incident that took place at Lahinch Beach on the coast of Clare on Sunday (12 January).
The man had gone swimming in the area when two surfers noticed that he had gotten into difficulty.
A spokesperson for the Valentia Island branch of the Irish Coast Guard told JOE that they were alerted at 10.40am on Sunday morning.
A rescue helicopter was dispatched along with members of the Doolin and Kilkee Coast Guard Unit and the Aran Islands all-weather lifeboat.
Approximately 15 minutes later, the man was extracted from the water.
Local emergency services and advanced paramedics attempted to resuscitate him before he was transferred to Limerick University Hospital in a critical condition.
On Sunday evening, Gardaí confirmed to JOE that the man has passed away.
Investigations into the incident are ongoing.
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